Character List and Analysis
Death

Death is the narrator. He is fascinated by humans and the colors of the world, but he struggles throughout the novel to decipher how humans are capable of so much ugliness and so much beauty. He takes an interest in Liesel and her story, and he believes that Liesel's story is one of a handful of beautiful stories he possesses. Throughout the novel, Death often provides humorous, informative, or dark asides. He also likes to skip around in the story's timeline, revealing events to come and then apologizing for giving parts of the story away. He steers the story with a heavy hand. While his commentary often focuses on his perception of humans, he also works to correct humans' perception of him, revealing that he does have a heart, that he doesn't carry a scythe, and that he, in fact, appears quite human. He describes how he has to do the bidding of many different bosses — these humans like Hitler who exterminate and bring war to others. The job often tires him.